Norris Tops Hungary FP2, Leclerc Hits Wall

In FP2 of the Hungarian GP, Norris leads as Leclerc’s crash sidelines his session.

Under a relentless sun, the Hungaroring hosted the second free practice session of the Hungarian F1 Grand Prix. This weather is expected to persist throughout the weekend.

A global issue affecting computer systems impacted Mercedes’ work this morning, but the team confirmed between sessions that it had resolved these issues.

“We received great support from them and all our partners,” stated Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes’ track engineering head. “There was some work to be done.”

“We have many computers in the garage, on the pit wall, and elsewhere, all needing updates. But we managed it. The impact in FP1 was minimal or none. It did create some work, but we’re back to where we need to be now.”

Sergio Pérez set the first benchmark with a 1’18″568, beating the Mercedes drivers by several tenths. Max Verstappen’s initial lap was disappointing, and the Dutchman was dissatisfied: “The brakes aren’t working, they don’t bite.”

In his second fast lap, the three-time world champion positioned himself between his teammate and the Mercedes. Behind them, drivers from several teams made it into the top 10, including both Ferraris and both Williams.

Teams quickly undertook foundational work, mainly focusing on tire endurance in Mogyorod’s scorching conditions. With morning asphalt temperatures hitting 60 degrees and over 50 at race time, tire performance is a crucial factor.

The session was halted after Charles Leclerc’s off-track excursion. The Ferrari driver hit the barriers hard, but the SF-24 was not too damaged. However, it ended his session and his first day in Hungary.

George Russell quickly topped the times with a 1’18″294, and Lewis Hamilton was within a tenth of his teammate. Lando Norris did even better with a 1’17″788, and Carlos Sainz could not get closer than 397 thousandths.

Kevin Magnussen slotted into fifth place between the two Mercedes drivers, while Pérez reclaimed the third fastest time. Guanyu Zhou had a similar off as Leclerc, nearly colliding with Pérez.

Alex Albon placed seventh as Verstappen was launching into a fast lap. Oscar Piastri experienced the same as Leclerc and Zhou, but unlike the others, he did not spin out. Verstappen finished second, 243 thousandths behind Norris.

The final minutes of the session focused on studying tire lifespan and performance degradation, especially of the medium tires, to prepare race strategies.

Norris thus ends this first day at the top, ahead of Verstappen and Sainz. Pérez is fourth, followed by Russell, Magnussen, Hamilton, Ricciardo, Albon, and Alonso. This represents eight different teams in the top 10.

Piastri is back in 13th place ahead of the first Alpine of Esteban Ocon. Pierre Gasly completed the session in 16th position, while after his crash, Leclerc is ranked 18th without having run on soft tires.

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McLaren Shines in FP2, F1 Order in Flux McLaren Shines in FP2, F1 Order in Flux